


Never Could Go Back

by Tabithian



Series: Cities in Dust [1]
Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), Destiny (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-24
Updated: 2014-10-24
Packaged: 2018-02-22 11:44:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2506607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tabithian/pseuds/Tabithian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From the moment Jason's ghost found him, <i>revived</i> him, he feels like they've been on the move, rarely a moment to rest. From the Cosmodrome to the Tower to the moon and now here, a small cave in the middle of Venus' jungles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Could Go Back

**Author's Note:**

> I may or may not have been playing _Destiny_ lately. Maybe. Possibly. *hands*

From the moment Jason's ghost found him, _revived_ him, he feels like they've been on the move, rarely a moment to rest. From the Cosmodrome to the Tower to the moon and now here, a small cave in the middle of Venus' jungles.

He can hear the Fallen somewhere in the distance calling to one another, a reminder of the reason they're there, running patrol to thin the enemy numbers. It feels pointless to him sometimes because for ever Fallen or Hive or Vex he takes down, two more take their place. (But then there are the times he remembers that every Fallen or Hive or Vex he takes down is one less to go after other Guardians, other humans. That what they're doing has meaning.)

"I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing that," the ghost says, voice barely audible over the drumming of the rain. It does a little spin, blue-white light throwing shadows over the rock walls before it turns to face Jason.

Jason raises an eyebrow at that. It's a _ghost_ , created by the Traveler. "What, you've never seen rain before?" 

He knows it has, remembers the storms that passed over the Tower a few times when they'd stopped to restock or pick up new bounties. Remembers the ghost complaining about Jason leaving his cloak spread over the pilot's chair in the jumpship to let it dry, dripping all over the floor and making a mess. (Remembers it throwing another one of its fits when he'd pinned his cloak to the wall with one of his throwing knives later.) 

The ghost huffs, does another little spin and flaring its what - arms? legs? - out and back, clearly annoyed. 

"Not like this," it says, shifting closer to the mouth of the cave. "This is the first time I've been to Venus."

This is first time Jason's been to Venus too, as far as he knows at any rate.

"Rain is rain," he says, even though they both know it's a lie. 

A few centuries ago Venus was uninhabitable. No jungles, no cities, no outposts, and no rain. (Or at least none like this, but it's not like Jason knew what Venus was like before it was terraformed, so.)

"I don't know why I chose you," the ghost snips, not for the first time since their partnership began. (Just like all the other times, Jason knows there's no real heat behind the words.)

"Well that makes two of us," Jason retorts, because really. 

What the hell did the little bastard see in him that made it decide that hey, it was a good idea to bring him back from the dead anyway? Jason's pretty sure the ability to bring people back to life wasn't around the first time he was alive, but what does he know? (All he knows is his life now, fighting a war he was never given a choice about.)

Aside from occasional dreams, nightmares, he doesn't remember a damn thing about his life before now. Before the ghost found him, bones scattered amid rusting cars and scraggly weeds and Jason really doesn't want to think about that too much. 

He'd seen the other bodies, skeletons, outside the Cosmodrome on the run to safety. Doesn't want to think about the fact that if his ghost hadn't chosen him, he'd still be there, bleached bones withering away to dust. Doesn't want to think about who they'd been before, or what they were doing there. What _he_ was doing there and who they might have been to him. (There's no going back.)

There's a little hum, the ghost flitting back to Jason and doing its best to loom, which. A little bit impressive, but mostly hilarious because the damn thing is tiny, can fit into the palm of his hand when its not acting like a toddler.

"Insufferable," it mutters, making a slow circle around Jason like it's reconsidering its terrible choices in life, starting with Jason and every horrible thing that's happened since. 

"You're welcome," Jason says, smirking.

For all that the ghost is an annoying little bastard at times...well. It chose Jason for whatever reason, one that even the Speaker can't fathom, and that should probably be a little bothersome, but.

It's not like Jason plans to just lay down and give up in the face of the Darkness, the Fallen and Hive and Vex. The Cabal he's heard about from his ghost and other Guardians, but not seen with his own eyes yet. 

He won't, can't, because he's been in The City, seen the fear and hopelessness in the peoples' eyes, the way they flinch when echoing cries of the Fallen carry over the walls. Last safe city, and everyone knows it's only a matter of _when_ if no one does anything.)

A little sigh and flutter of exasperation as the ghost drops down to hover just above Jason's shoulder, tucking itself under the hood of his cloak and up against his neck. 

“Insufferable," it says again, quieter. Its tone could be taken for resigned if it weren't for the way it nudges his neck, _fond_. 

The ghost mutters to itself, and Jason's glad for his armor, glad his ghost can't see his smile, no doubt soft around the edges because he actually likes the little bastard.

Jason _hmms_ , watching the rain fall outside their shelter. (He still isn't used to this, to being able to visit other planets like this, a quick flight and _there_. Isn't used to watching hiking through jungles or watching the rain fall on alien planets.)

The Darkness and its armies are still out there, still closing in on humanity, but they're not the only ones. The Guardians and their ghosts are striking back, taking back ground bit by bit. Slow-going, maybe, but they're not giving ground, not anymore, and Jason and his ghost are part of that now.

They've been on the move from the start, running forward with no looking back. (It's never done anyone any good anyway.)

**Author's Note:**

> Jason's the Gunslinger subclass of Hunter in this fic because I think it fits him best, although I was leaning towards Striker Titan as well. (Also maybe because the Gunslinger is my favorite because throwing knives, but I am shallow.)
> 
> Also, also, I may or may not have been picturing Tim as his ghost, just because. (IDK, it's been a while since I've written anything, so I went with total self-indulgence here. Sorry?)


End file.
